Every cut comes from somewhere. Here’s where.
A steer breaks down into eight primal sections, and every cut in our case comes out of one of them. Where a muscle sits on the animal tells you almost everything about how to cook it: muscles that work hard are tough and flavorful and want time; muscles that barely move are tender and want heat and speed.
The one rule worth knowing
The harder a muscle works, the longer it needs to cook. The tenderloin, tucked up under the spine, does almost nothing all day — that’s why filet mignon is the most tender cut and takes six minutes on a hot pan. The shoulder and chest carry the animal’s weight with every step — that’s why chuck roast and brisket are tough raw and extraordinary after eight hours of low heat. Everything else on this page is a variation on that one idea.
The eight primals
| Primal | Location | What it yields | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chuck | Shoulder | Chuck roast, chuck eye, flat iron, short ribs | Hard-working muscle. Rich, beefy, needs time. |
| Rib | Upper back, ribs 6–12 | Ribeye, prime rib, tomahawk, back ribs | The marbling capital. Tender and rich. |
| Short Loin | Behind the rib | New York strip, filet mignon, T-bone, porterhouse | Most tender cuts on the animal. |
| Sirloin | Behind the short loin | Top sirloin, tri-tip, picanha, ball tip | Leaner, firmer, genuinely beefy. Great value. |
| Round | Rear leg | Eye of round, top round, bottom round, rump | Very lean. Slice thin or cook low and slow. |
| Brisket | Lower chest | Whole brisket, flat, point | Heavy connective tissue. Born for smoke. |
| Plate | Lower belly | Skirt steak, short ribs, hanger | Loose grain, huge flavor, hot fast sear. |
| Flank | Lower rear belly | Flank steak | Lean with pronounced grain. Slice across it. |
Every cut, one at a time
Twelve cuts we get asked about most. Each one has its own page with cooking guidance and what to look for when you’re buying.
Ibérico pork, from Spain
The same rule applies to a pig, and no pig proves it better than the Ibérico — the black-footed breed of the Iberian Peninsula, raised free-range by Campo Grande and shipped to us frozen at peak. What sets it apart is the fat: soft, nutty, and threaded through the muscle the way marbling runs through a good ribeye. It melts at a lower temperature than conventional pork, so the meat eats rich and stays juicy at a blushing 145°F.
| Cut | Where it sits | How to cook it | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secreto | A thin fan tucked behind the shoulder | Screaming-hot pan or grill, 2–3 min a side, slice thin | So marbled it looks like beef. The cut Spanish butchers kept for themselves. |
| Presa | Top of the shoulder, over the loin | Sear hard, finish gently to 140–145°F, rest 8 min | The thickest, most steak-like cut on the pig. |
| Skirt | Belly side, loose-grained | Very high heat, 90 sec–2 min a side, slice across the grain | Ibérico's answer to skirt steak. Tacos, salads, on its own. |
| Rib Roast | The loin left on the bone, frenched | 325°F to 140°F, then 450°F to crisp the cap, rest 15 min | The showpiece. The fat cap bastes the loin as it roasts. |
One thing to know before you buy
Ibérico arrives frozen and vacuum sealed, and that is how you want it — thaw it in the fridge the day before. Pluma, belly, and cheek come in when we can get them; call the counter and ask. Everything Ibérico we have right now is in the Ibérico Pork collection.
Can’t find what you’re after?
We carry over 400 items and only twelve of them have pages here. Call the counter at 916.782.2705 and ask — if we have it, we’ll tell you how to cook it too.